Borough council tax set to rise - by 10p a week

Cabinet members for Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) will be looking into the authority’s budget and council tax proposals on Wednesday, 14 February with the plan to increase the yearly charge for Band D properties from £136.41 to £141.41, a 3.6 per cent rise.

Current legislation allows an authority to increase its council tax by either 2.99 per cent or a maximum of £5 per year before triggering a referendum.

However the Final Local Government Finance Settlement, which includes information on core revenue funding available for local authority services, including council tax, is due to be debated in the House of Commons tomorrow.

This is the third consecutive year TVBC has opted to increase council tax by £5.

However TVBC has said this "small" increase, equivalent to less than 10p a week, is despite continued reductions in central government Revenue Support Grant and additional spending pressures.

Councillor Peter Giddings, TVBC economic development portfolio holder, said: “Our council tax is the 26th lowest of all the 201 district councils in the country and despite central government spending reductions, we are still able to continue to invest in our residents, communities and businesses.”

“Our central government Revenue Support Grant has reduced by 98.2 per cent in the last five years from £3.1m to only £56k next year and will end entirely in 2019/20.

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here